Mind how you eat

Angie TomlinsonThe West Australian

Tuesday, 8 January 2019 3:53PM

Camera IconPicture: Getty Images

Gael Myers’ favourite time to practise her mindful eating is when it’s treat time.

“Rather than guiltily scoffing down a block of chocolate and making myself feel sick, mindfulness allows me to savour each mouthful and stop when I feel satisfied — which is often after only a few bites. This way, I’m enjoying the entire process, feel better about myself and even better — I have more left for later or to share with friends,” says the accredited practising dietitian at Cancer Council WA’s LiveLighter.

Ms Myers’ approach to eating is in step with a broader societal change towards mindfulness, where you focus your mind on the present moment, at the same time calmly acknowledging and accepting the feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.

It has been used as part of treatment for anxiety and depression, helping sufferers of chronic pain and even part of the training regimes for elite athletes. But mindfulness also has its place when we eat, leading people to enjoy a satisfying, healthy and enjoyable relationship with food and potentially helping improve mental health too.

Even though it can lead to weight loss without the conscious need to count calories, mindful eating is not a diet. It’s the way we eat, not what we eat.

“Mindful eating is a form of awareness training. Put simply, it’s about paying full attention to the food that goes into your mouth. This means focusing on the taste, smell, texture, temperature and colour of your food rather than mechanically chewing without a second thought. It’s also about listening and responding to your body’s hunger signals — before, during and after you eat,” Ms Myers says.

Ms Myers says many people don’t allow their senses to fully experience the food they eat because they’re focused on something else, like their phone, the television or emotions such as feelings of guilt associated with eating.

Research also shows inattentive eating can mean eating more than your body needs to feel full.

Of course, mindful eating isn’t always practical with the busy lives many people lead. However, Ms Myers says it doesn’t have to be a full-time commitment.

“Even if you aren’t able to make every eating occasion a mindful one, it’s important to not take an all or nothing approach. If you can only manage to eat mindfully for one meal a week, that is better than nothing.”

She advises that if you’re too flat-out answering emails to stop and fully appreciate your meal, aim to at least take the first few bites mindfully. And instead of just sipping your tea at the computer, take the time to notice the temperature, taste and feel of the liquid as you sip.

“If you are struggling to get the hang of mindfulness, consider joining a meditation group. There are many free meditation classes run by community groups or, you can start your own with friends. This will help you tap into focusing on the small details without judgment.”

How to get started

Gael Myers says with a few simple tricks you can be well on your way to becoming a mindful eater.

Turn off the television and put away your phone when you sit down to eat.

Before you pick up your fork, take a moment to check in and see how you’re feeling. Are you eating because you’re hungry, bored, sad, stressed or just because there’s food in front of you? Understanding these drivers will help you feel more satisfied with what you eat.

Pretend you’re a food critic. Take note of the way the food is presented, the enticing aromas, the texture and the flavour of the different components of your meal.

Tune in to your hunger. Consider how your hunger level changes as you eat. If you think of hunger on a scale from 1 to 10 (where 1 is starving and 10 is very full), the aim is to stop when you get to about a 7.

Practice makes perfect. Like any skill, you’ll need to do a few practice runs before mindful eating starts to come naturally